Kuala Belait - Six officers and personnel of the Royal Customs & Excise Department accused of corruption and forbearing to take action against fuel smugglers were produced before the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate's Court yesterday.

One of them is accused of accepting graft from a fuel smuggler who paid for sexual services from a female prostitute at Mega

Hotel in Miri, Sarawak, on January 18, 2009.

All six defendants - Ahmad bin Haji Sahari, Mohd Sanip bin Ura, Haji Mazlan bin Haji Shabuddin, Mohd Mazalan bin Hj Sidop, Muhammad Rafi bin Hj Abd Rashid and Pg Ahmad bin Pg Hj Md Daud - were released on $5,000 bail or one local surety pending their next court hearing.

No pleas were taken from them yesterday.

Ahmad, who was not represented by defence counsel, will be produced in court again on January 19, 2010.

Ahmad faces a first charge of having corruptly accepted BND$400 from a fuel smuggler inside a car parked at the vicinity of Mastercon Complex on January 19, 2009, as an inducement or reward for forbearing to do an act in relation to his principal's affairs, which is to take action against the fuel smuggler.

The second charge states that the defendant obtained BND$400 "without consideration or for a consideration which he knew to be inadequate" from the fuel smuggler "whom he knew to have a connection with the official functions of himself as a Custom Officer" whose duty is to enforce the provisions of the Customs Order 2006.

The third charge states that Ahmad had corruptly accepted BND$300 from another fuel smuggler inside a car parked at Mastercon Complex, Jalan Pandan, Kuala Belait, sometime in December 2008.

The fourth charge states that he had obtained the money.

Mohd Sanip, who was also not represented by defence counsel, will appear in court again on January 14, 2010.

He faces a charge of corruptly accepting BND$350 from a fuel smuggler between January 12 and January 13, 2009, at a restaurant in Kuala Belait. He faces a second count of obtaining the money.

The third charge states that he had corruptly accepted a gratification from a fuel smuggler in the form of sexual services from a female prostitute at Mega Hotel in Miri, Sarawak, on January 18, 2009. The fourth count states that he had obtained the favour.

Haji Mazlan, who is also not represented by defence counsel, will appear before the courts on January 16, 2010.

He faces a charge of corruptly accepting BND$400 from a fuel smuggler on January 19, 2009, inside a car parked at a roadside in Seria. The second charge states that he had obtained the money.

Mohd Mazalan, who is being represented by Hj Zul Sukarla of Zul-Sukarla Law Office, will appear before the courts on January 18, 2010.

He faces a first charge of corruptly accepting RM800 from a fuel smuggler at a coffee shop near DST office in Kuala Belait sometime in 2007. The second count states that he had obtained the money.

The third charge states that he had corruptly accepted BND$1,100 from a fuel smuggler at a coffee shop near Chemiland shop at Pandan 3 in Kuala Belait sometime in November 2007. The fourth charge states that the defendant had obtained the money.

He faces a fifth charge of having corruptly accepted BND$300 from a fuel smuggler sometime in May 2008 at Lot 6401, Simpang 206-10, RPN Kg Pandan in Kuala Belait. The sixth charge states that Mohd Mazalan obtained the money.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Rafi, who is not represented by defence counsel, will be produced in court again on January 19, 2010.

He faces a first charge of corruptly accepting BND$2,600 from a fuel smuggler at a Mini Mart in Sg Liang on or about November 25, 2007. The second count states that the defendant obtained the money.

The third count states that he had corruptly accepted RM500 from a fuel smuggler in the vicinity of Sungai Tujoh Customs Post on or about January 25, 2008. The fourth charge states that the defendant had obtained the money.

The fifth charge states that he allegedly accepted RM500 from a fuel smuggler at Sungai Tujoh Customs Post on or about February 25, 2008. The sixth charge stated that he had obtained the money.

Pg Ahmad bin Pg Hj Md Daud, who is being represented by Hj Zul Sukarla, will appear before the courts on January 13, 2010.

He faces a first charge of having corruptly accepted BND$100 from a fuel smuggler at the Sungai Tujoh Customs Post sometime in December 2007. The second charge states that the defendant had obtained the money.

The third charge states that he had corruptly accepted RM900 from a fuel smuggler sometime in September 2007 in the vicinity of Boulevard, Miri, Malaysia. The fourth charge states that the defendant had obtained the money.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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